Closed-conduit system for electric railways



(No Model.)

l '4Sheets-Sheet 1. R, H. ELLIOTT. y CLOSED CONDUIT SYSTEM PORBLBGTRICRAILWAYS. No. 510,850'.

Patented Deel2, 1893.'

f mlmm@ (-No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. H. ELLIO'N?.

CLOSED GONDUIT SYSTEM POR 'ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

No. 510,850. Y Y Patented Deo. 12, 1893.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

R. H. ELLIOTT. CLOSED CONDUIT SYSTEM POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 510,850.

Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

I 4 Sheets-Sheet R. H'. EJJIO'IIII.Y ,LSBD GONDUIT YSYSTEM FOR ELETRIRAILWAYS. N0.. 510,850.

(No Model.)

Patented De.l2, 1893.

l tion of the two shoes.

UNITED ROBERT H. ELLIOTT, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CLOSED-CONDUIT SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,850, dated December12, 1893.

Application filed J'nly 5, 1893. Serial No. 479,603. (No model.)

To all wiz/0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, inthe county of Jefferson and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-RailwaySystems; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in electric railway systems, and itis especially intended to provide a simple and convenient means by whichthe tracks ordinarily in use may, with slight additions thereto, becomeadapted for use with the hereinafter described apparatus.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which the same partsare indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a sectional elevation of a truck fitted withmyimproved electric contact-making device, and shows a sectional View ofthe trough or conduit with pockets or chambers connected thereto for theWire carrying the current, and for the contact making device connectedto the said wire. Fig. 2 represents a detail View of one of the pocketsor chambers containing the circuit-closing device connected to the wire.Fig. 3 represents an enlarged detail View of the packing for one of theprojecting pins. Fig. 4 represents a section across the track, andan endview of the truck provided with my improved contact making device. Fig.5 represents an enlarged detail View of the trough or conduit for theWire, and of the metallic shoe projecting into said conduit, andillustrates the method of insulating the said shoe from the body of thecar truck. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of a car truck providedwith two of the shoes similar to those shown in Figs. 1 to 5, andadapted to travel in parallel grooves or conduits. Fig. 7 represents anend view of the two shoes, and the parts connecting the same, detachedfrom the car. Fig. 8 represents a sectional view across the track, andan end view of the car truck shown in Fig. 6, and illustrates the modeof opera- Fig. 9 represents an enlarged detail view of the pocket orchamber connected to the wire conduit, as shown in Fig. 8.

A represents the car truck, on which one or more electric motors B, aremounted in the usual way. The electrical connections to the same beingwell understood in the art, are not shown in the drawings.

C represents a metal shoe curved upward at both ends, as at c, andinsulated as at C' from the body of the car truck. This shoe iselectrically connected to the electric motors B, as by wires c'. Theshoes C are yieldi'ngly -mounted beneath the car by means of the springsD, the guide plungers CZ, and the tie bolts D', having shank d adaptedto slide vertically in suitable apertures in the longitudinal piece A',forming part of the body of the truck.

E represents the wire carrying the current, which passes along thebottom of the groove or conduit G, in which the shoe O slides, or thiswire may be buried in the ground, and run approximately parallel to thetrack.

At stated intervals along the base of the lconduit G, pockets or boxesF' are provided, having a water-tight cover f. These boxes are placed ata distance from each other somewhat less than the length of the bottomot' the shoe O, so that the said shoe may be always over at least one ofthe said boxes, so as to close the electrical circuit, as willhereinafter be described. Mounted in these boxes or pockets is a leverK, pivoted as at 7c to the downwardly projecting arm K'.- One end ofthis lever is normally held down by means of a stout spring L whichcauses the other end to push up the pin H into the guide grooveG. Thisvpin H passes through a waterproof packingf' in the coverfot the box F.The other end of the lever K supports a metallic pin H insulated fromthe spring L, and connected to the live wireE by an insulated wire e.Above this pin H' a similar metallic pin I-l2 is supported by the springL, and is normally held at a distance from the pin H', thus beinginsulated from the said pin.. This pin H2 also passes through awater-proof packing f' in the cover f. The pins H and H may be termed abroken pin. These boxes F being thus made water-tight, there is nolikelihood of short-circuiting in wet weathenand the various partscontained therein, are kept free from dust, and comparatively free fromoxidation.

The operation of the device shown in Figs. l to 5, is as follows: Theshoe C passing over the pin H, presses that pin down, and causes thelever K to first move the pin H up against the pin H2, making electricalconnection between the two parts, and then pushes the pin H2 upwarduntil itbears against the bottom of the shoe C, when the electricconnection is completed between the wire E and the shoe. The shoe beinginsulated from the body of the truck, carries the current by means ofthe wires c to the electric motors B, and thence it returns by means ofthe wheels and the ground circuit, in the usual way.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 6 to 9, two parallel shoes are usedinsulated as before, and connected together by a frame C2. These twoshoes run in parallel guide grooves G and G2 which are arranged parallelwith the track rails, and preferably on either side of one of the trackrails M, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The lever K is pivoted on anupwardly projecting arm K2 in the water-tight box or pocket F into whichthe wire E is led and connections made as before.

The advantage of this form of apparatus is that the two shoes must besimultaneously over the pins H and H2 respectively, and that thereforeit would be impossible under any ordinary conditions, to have contactaccidentally made with both of the pins H and H2 simultaneously, andthus accidents as from passing vehicles or other ordinary causes, wouldbe impossible. In order to insure further safety, the spring L should bemade of suiicient strength to prevent the pin H from being readilypushed down except by the superposing of considerable weight, such as astreet car. Since it is frequently desirable to lift the shoe or shoesout of the guide groove, and clear of contact with the various pinsprojecting into said groove, it is proposed to employ some suitablelifting device for this pur pose. One of these is shown in Fig. 6, inwhich the shoes C are represented as suspended from the chains n and n;and the chains n are connected by means of the bellcrank levers n2 tothe sliding rod p, which is operated by the lever p pivoted at p2, andconnected by means of the chain o to the hand lever r', which is pivotedat r2. It will be evident that if the right hand lever r be moved in thedirection of the arrow as shown in Fig. 6, the shoes C will be lifted,and vice versa. A similar form of lifting device may be used inconnection with the shoe shown in Fig. 1; or any other desired form ofdevice for this purpose may be adopted.

The insulation of the various parts while not clearly shown in thedrawings,may be readily supplied by anyone skilled in the art.

It will be seen that by the use of the hereindescribed device,the livewire is at all times insulated, and that the dangers from accidentalshort-circuiting are reduced to a minimum. Moreover it is evident thatthe various connections herein described, maybe constructed atcomparatively small cost, and that the streets are not disigured 4aswith poles for overhead wires. Moreover it will be evident that theshort-circuiting of the line from flooding, as is common in mostunderground conduits, is `hereby entirely obviated. These, and thevarious other advantanges of my improved system, would readily suggestthemselves to any one skilled in the art.

It will be obvious that many modifications might be made, which could beused without Adeparting from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor run ning approximately parallel to the track, a series ofbroken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to saidmain conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said firstportion; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connectedto one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting fromthe road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, and a leverconnecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted to bring thetwo portions of the broken pin into electrical connection with eachother and with said shoe, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor run ning approximately parallel to the track, a series ofbroken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to saidmain conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said firstportion; a spring interposed between said portions and insulated fromone of said portions, and means operated from the car for bringing thesetwo portions into electrical connection with each other and with anelectricity collecting device carried by the car, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series ofbroken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to saidmain conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from said firstportion; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connectedto one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting fromthe road bed y IOO IIO

4. In an electric railwaysystem, the combination of a guide groove or'conduit parallel minal of the electric motor or motors, a pinAprojecting from the roadbed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, and alever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted tobring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection witheach other and with said shoe, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

5. In an electric railway system, the combination of a guide groove orconduit parallel to the track and provided with a series of water-tightboxes, an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel tosaid groove and into said boxes; a series of broken conducting pinshaving one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, andthe other portion normally insulated from said rst portion; a springinterposed between said portions and insulated from one of saidportions, and means operated from the car for bringing these twoportions into electrical connection with each other and with anelectricity collecting device carried by the car, substantially asdescribed.

6. In an electric railway system, the combination of a guide groove orconduit parallel to the track and provided with a series of water-tightboxes; an insulated main conductor running approximately parallel tosaid groove and into said boxes; a series of broken conducting pinshaving one portion electrically connected to said main conductor, andthe other portion normally insulated from said first portion; a springinterposed between said portions and insulated from one ot saidportions; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electricallyconnected to one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pinprojecting from the road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe; anda lever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted tobring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection witheach other and with said shoe, substantially as described.

7. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor running approximately parallel to the track; a series'otbroken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected. tosaid main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated from saidrst portion; a lever adapted to connect the parts of said broken pin andto proj ect the connected parts upward; means operated from the car foractuating the said lever and an electricity collecting device carried bythe car for collecting electricity from said pin, substantially asdescribed.

8. In an electric railway system, `the combination of an insulated mainconductor running approximately parallel to the track, a pinelectrically connected to said main conductor but insulated from theground; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connectedto one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting fromthe road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe; and a leverconnecting said latter pin and the Iirst pin, and adapted to bring the-same into electrical connection with said shoe,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series ofbroken conducting pins having one portion electrically connected to-said main conductor, and the other portion normally insulated fromsaid-first portion; a lever adapted to connect the parts of said brokenpin and to project the connected parts upward; a spring interposedbetween said portions and insulated from one of said portions; and meansoperated from the car for actuating said lever; and a device carried bythe car for collecting electricity from said broken pin, substantiallyas described.

10. In an electric railway system, the combination of an insulated mainconductor running approximately parallel to the track, a series of pinselectrically connected to said main conductor but insulated from theground; a conducting shoe carried by the car and electrically connectedto one terminal of the electric motor or motors, a pin projecting fromthe road bed and adapted to be struck by said shoe, a spring interposedbetween said portions and insulated from one of said portions; and alever connecting said latter pin and said broken pin, and adapted tobring the two portions of the broken pin into electrical connection witheach other, and with said shoe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

J. B. RoBINsoN, E. LYNN.

